Product Placement
I get it. Making television shows is expensive.
But the product placements of cars on popular shows today is beginning to irk me.
I never minded that on NCIS they happened to always drive Dodge and, at the end of the show, in the credits, would say that the cars were provided by Chrysler.
But now TV shows are trying to weave car marketing speak into the dialogue of the show.
In White Collar we’ll hear the characters marvel at the hands-free calling in the Ford they drive.
In Bones we get Booth chating up the Intelligent Parking Assist of Dr. Brennan’s Prius.
In The Glades they squeeze in how Callie’s Kia SUV can seat five comfortably while she and Jim try to solve a murder.
I know that product placement has been around since the advent of television (Playhouse 90 sponsored by Bristol-Meyer or The Jack Benny Show sponsored by Lucky Strikes) and I know its not going away anytime soon.
All I’m asking is that, if you’re going to do it, do it well. But stopping the momentum of a show so that the characters can promote a car is NOT the way to do it.
